Electron tube parts handling apparatus



May 18, 1965 A. FISCHER, JR

ELECTRON TUBE PARTS HANDLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 25, 1961 INVENTOR. flMM/Z'z/iz J1? May 18, 1965 A. FISCHER, JR

ELECTRON TUBE PARTS HANDLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 25, 1961 9 w fl HHH| a 5 n d fl Ulla 5 J 1 a7 a w HAL 1 0 0 "U w. M w M w w a 4w il l/ll/AAQ J 3.

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INVENTOE; imw flaw/6J4? BY y 18, 1965 A. FISCHER, JR 3,183,703

ELECTRON TUBE PARTS HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 25, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent 3,183,733 ELECTRQN TUBE PARTS HANBLEJG APPARATUS Adam Fischer, In, Mapiewood, Null, assignor to Radio Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 25, 1961, Ser. No. 134,068 14) Ciaims. (ill. 72-386) This invention relates to apparatus for orienting and transferring electron tube electrode flanges. More specifically, this invention relates to apparatus for orienting electron tube electrode flanges and for feeding them one at a time to a sizing position where they are sized.

In a certain type of electron tube, the tube electrodes, comprising the anode, grid, and cathode support sleeve, are each mounted on and fixed to an individual annular flange, as by brazing. The tube electrodes are of hollow cylindrical form, and being of thin material, are very fragile. The anode is about of an inch long and about 7 of an inch in diameter. The anode flange, on which the anode is mounted, is of disk shape and has an outer diameter of about of an inch and a hole therethrough, surrounded by a collar. The collar, which is integral with the flange, extends a small fraction of an inch from one face only of the flange. The anode is fitted into the collar from the opposite face of the flange and, in a later operation, the anode and its flange are placed in a brazing jig where they are brazed together. The grid is also tubular and it is of smaller diameter and greater length than the anode, and the annular flange therefor has a smaller outer diameter and a centrally arranged collar so dimensioned that the grid fits thereinto. The cathode sleeve is smaller in diameter and longer than the grid and its flange is of still smaller outside diameter. The cathode sleeve, similarly, fits into the collar of the cathode flange. Since each tube electrode is fitted into its flange from the face thereof opposite the flange collar, the flanges must each be oriented properly with respect to their respective tube electrodes when assembling an electrode to its flange.

The anode, grid and cathode sleeves are carefully sized during manufacture, while the respective flanges are made by a punching and drawing process from strip material. Therefore, the tube electrodes are usually more accurate in diameter than their respective flanges; Furthermore, due to their disk-like shape, the flanges are more resistive to radial stress than their respective tubular electrodes. If an electrode is fitted into the collar of a flange and fits loosely, no distortion results and in the later brazing operation, brazing material will fill the gap between the electrode and its flange if this gap is not too large. If, however, an electrode is forced into a flange collar which is too small to receive it, the electrode is distorted and the electron tube containing such a distorted electrode is defective. Therefore, to avoid distorting the electrodes, the internal diameter of each individual flange collar should be sized, that is, the internal diameter brought up to the required size, so that the collars are no smaller than the size necessary to produce a snug fit of the electrode into its collar. Flanges are supplied having holes therethrough which are slightly too small to fit around their respective electrodes. After sizing, all electrodes will fit inside their respective sized flange collars snugly, eliminating any chance that the flange collar will be either too large or too small to be properly brazed to its electrode.

As noted above, the flanges must be properly oriented before they may be fed to a brazing jig loading mechanism. However, if, in the process of placing flanges into a jig loading apparatus, a properly oriented flange falls from the end of a chute, the flange will tumble, whereby the orientation thereof may be destroyed. Therefore, the flanges cannot be fed to a brazing jig by dropping them off the end of a chute, but the properly oriented flanges must be transferred from the chute to the brazing jig loading mechanism in such a manner that the proper orientation thereof is preserved.

Manual orienting and sizing of flange collars, and fitting of electrodes into the sized flange collars as well as feeding the electrodes and their flanges into brazing jig feed ing mechanisms requires skilled operators who must do careful, tedious, eye-straining work, resulting in slow, high-cost production and in a high spoilage rate.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide improved apparatus for orienting electrode flanges.

It is an ob ect of the invention to provide an improved apparatus for sizing the internal diameter of annular flanges.

It is an object of this invention to feed annular flanges from a storage position to a jig loading position in proper orientation, and to size the holes therethrough during the feeding thereof.

In accordance with this invention, a flange orientator is built into the ascending track of a vibratory type of feeder, whereby only oriented flanges reach the exit position of the track. An escapement device is provided which releases only one oriented flange at a time to a guide track. Means are provided for sliding a released flange to a sizing position along the guide track, at which position a sizing tool sizes the hole, and therefore the collar surrounding the hole up to a size such that the respective electrode will fit snugly thereinto. Further means are provided for transferring the sized flange to a brazing jig loading device.

The invention is more fully explained in the following detailed description thereof, taken with the accompanying drawing, in which:

. FIG. 1 is a perspective view partly broken away of the feeding bowl and the ascending track showing the position of the orientor and of the guide track;

FIG. 2 is a section of the orientor at line 22 of FIG. 4 showing a flange being passed on;

FIG. 3 is a similar sectional view of the orientor also taken at line 22 of FIG. 2 showing a flange being dropped back into the bowl;

15136. 4 is a perspective view of the orientor of FIG. 2 an FIG. 5 is a plan view, partly broken away, showing a portion of the ascending track, and showing the guide track, the transfer arm and a portion of the jig loading means;

FIG. 6 is an end view taken at the line 66 of FIG. 5 and showing the escapernent;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are partial side views of the escapement means at different positions in its cycle;

FIG. 9 is a section of the guide track taken at the line 9? of HG. 5 and showing the sizing tool;

FIG. 10 is a section of the lower end of the transfer pin and showing the transfer pin in its relation to the jigdloading apparatus at a point in the cycle of this device; an

FIG. 11 is an elevational view partly in section, of the mechanism for moving the locating and transfer pins through their cycle.

A vibratory feeder 16 is provided having an ascending track 14. The orientor 12 of this invention is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and is built into the ascending track 14. The orientor 12 is fixed to the inside surface of the wall of the feeding bowl 16, dividing the track into two portions 15 and 15. The orientor 12 comprises a grooved plate 18 and a front plate 20 having contacting faces which are arranged in a slanting manner with respect to the side of the bowl 16. The track 14 is provided at its inner edge with a shoulder 22 and is fixed to the inside surface of thebowl in a spiral or corkscrew manner. The bottom 'end of track 14 joins the bottom of the bowl. The track 14 tips downwardly in an inward direction-as it ascends untilthe floor of the first portion 15 ofthe track 14 is flush with the slanting surface of the grooved plate 13. The second portion 15 of the track 14 extends spirally upwardly from the orientor 12 to the guide track 42. The lower end of second portion 15 is flush, with the slanting surface of plate 18 and portion 15 gradually tips as it ascends so that the upper end of portion 15 is flush withtrack 42.

The o'rientor 12 operates to properly orient flanges such as 28- of FIGS. 2 and 3. A flange 28 has a collar 26 extending for a short distance from one side only thereof. If the flange, in ascending the track portion 15,

comes .to the orientor 12 with its collar directed towards the inside ofthe bowl 16, the flange 28 will pass the orientor 12. If the flangecollar 26 is directed towards the wall of the bowl 16, the flange 23 will fall through the orientor 12 and into the bowl 16, from where it willagain be fed to oricntor 12.

The orientor 12 comprises a plate 18 of generally triangular cross-section, as shown in FIGS. 2-4. The grooved platelh may befixed to the inside wall of bowl 16. A groove 2 which is wide enough and deep enough to receive the collar 26, is provided in'the slanting face of platellSJ The groove 24 is L-shaped, having a horizontally extending portion 30 and a farther downwardly extending portion 32, as most clearly shown in FIG. 4.

The horizontally extending portion 34 opens towards the end of the first portion 15 of track 14. The downwardly extending portion 32 opens towards the bottom of bowl 16. The orientor 12 also has-a front plate which has the upper left-hand portion thereof, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, cut away, as at 34. As best shown in FIG. 4, the front plate 26 is cut away at 34 across the whole length thereof for a depth and a width to receive the annular portions of flange 28' that extends laterally beyond collar as. If necessary, the end of the cut-away portion 34 adjacent the upper end of track portion 15 may be made wider, as shown in FIG. 4, to facilitate admission of flanges movingrinto the orientor 12 from track portion 15. The front plate 20 is also cutaway for its complete width, asshown at 36 in FIG. 4. The cut-away portion 36 has a dimension in a direction parallel to the length of front plate 26 equal to the outside diameter of a flange. The depth of the cut-away portion, in a direction perpendicular to the length of front plate 29, is equal to the corresponding dimension of cut-away portion 34. The cut-away portions 34 and 36, taken together, are therefore of T shape. The front plate 20 is fixed tothe grooved plate 18 in such manner that the top of the front plate 2th is in the same plane as the bottom edge of horizontal groove 3%, and further, so that the verical portion 32 of the groove in the plate This centered with the cut-away portion 36. Thereby a T-shaped hole of a size and shape to receive a flange 28 extends through orientor 12, the stern of the T being the vertical groove 32 (and fitting the collar 26) and the top of the T being the cut-away portion 36 (fitting the annular portion of the flange). Screws 44) extend through the shoulders 33 of the front plate 29 and into the grooved plate lfi'to hold the front plate 20 onto the grooved plate 18. In this manner, a flange 28 which is oriented so that its-collar 26 rests on the top of front plate 20, as'shown in FIG. 2, is fed through the orientor by the vibrating motion of the bowl 16, However, a flange28 which is oriented so that its collar 26 rests in the horizontal groove 30 is'fed along the orientor 12 until, as shown in FIG. 3, the flange 28- falls back into the bowl-12 through the flange and collar fitting 'T- shaped hole or opening between the front plate 20 and the grooved plate 18, comprising vertical groove 32 and the cut-away portion 36;.

The flanges which pass the orientor will feed into the ,rearoe second part 15' of the ascending track 14, this track gradually reverting to a position with its floor horizontal as it ascends. Therefore, only flanges 23 having the collars 26 thereof extending in an upward direction appear at the exit part of the track 14. The shoulder 22 along the edge of the track 14 prevents the flanges in the slanting portion of the track from falling into the bowl.

The holes in the flanges 28 are sized one at a time, therefore, the flanges 28 are fed individually to the sizing device. Referring to FIGS. 5, 6 and 9, the means for feeding the flanges individually to the sizer comprises a grooved guide track 42 and an escapement means 44 built into it. The guide track 42 comprises a generally curved unitary member 46 having a curved groove 4S centrally arranged in an otherwise planar top face thereof. The groove 48 is of a size slidably to fit a flange 28. A curved channel 50 extends downwardly from the bottom of the groove and centrally therealong, partway through the curved member 46, for a purpose to be described. The groove 48 and the channel 50 together comprise a T-shaped recess along track 42. A hole 52 extends the rest of the way through the curved member 46 centrally of the groove 43 at one point only, near the exit or right-hand end of the curved member 46, as viewed in PEG. 5. The hole 52 is at the sizing position for receiving a sizing tool 130, which will be described hereinafter. A pair of track covers 54, each comprising a curved plate, are fixed to the top of the curved member 46. The track covers 54 are of such size and shape that the lateral edges of the groove 48 are covered but the central portion thereof is open from the top for a width equal to the outside diameter of the collar 26 of the flange 28, as shown in FIG. 6. Thereby, flanges 23 can slide along the groove 48 but cannot be lifted therefrom nor can they be turned up-side-down while in the groove 48.

The escapement mechanism 44 is built into the curved member 46 near the left or inletend of the track 42 as shown in FIG. 5. The channel 51 as shown in FIG. 7,

closed off by closure plate 52. A compression spring 64.

coiled in a recess at'the bottom of member 56 presses againstclosure plate 62 andurges the escapement member 56 upwardly. A first pair of pins 66, fixed to project above the upper surface of the escapement member 56, extends slidably upwards through the curved member 46 and through the track covers 54. These pins 66 are placed on each side of the groove 48 so that they do not go through the groove 48 and so that they do not offer any obstruction to the passage of a flange 28 along the groove 58. A second pair of pins 68, also fixed to the escapement member 56, extend through the curved member 46 and through the groove 48 and also through the track covers 54 in a slidable manner. These pins 68 when extended through the groove 48 obstruct the passage of the flanges 23 along the groove 48. A bridge 70 is fixed to the tops of the first pair of pins 66 above the track cover 54. A third pair of pins 72 extend downwardly from the bridge '70, and through the track covers 54 in the region thereof above the groove 43. The escapement member 56 may be moved from its at rest or raised position, shown in FIG. 7, to a lower position, shown in FIG. 8, as will be explained, carrying pins 66, 63, bridge 70 and pins 72 supported by bridge 7ft, down with' it. The third pair of pins 72 do not extend below the track cover 54 in their raised position. The third pair of pins 72, however, in their lower position, as shown in FIG. 8, extends through the grooves 48 and obstructs the passage of flanges 28 along the groove 48. As shown in FIG. 5, the distance along the guide 42 between the second pair of pins 68 and the third pair of pins 72 is such that one flange 28 fits in the groove 48 between these two sets of pins. Therefore, when the escapement member 55 is moved downwardly, as will be explained, the third pair of pins 72 move between two flanges in the guide. In the raised position of the escapement member 56, the second pair of pins 68 are in flange obstructing position and the third pair of pins 72 are above the groove 48 and therefore out of flange obstructing position. When the escapement member 56 is in its up position, the feeding action of the vibratory bowl 16 causes oriented flanges 28 to fill the track 14 and the guide track 42 up to the position of the second pair of pins 63. In the other or down position of the escapernent member 56, as shown in FIG. 8, the second pair of pins 68 is withdrawn below the groove 48 to non-obstructing position and the third pair of pins 72 move to flange obstructing position. The flange that was in contact with the second pair of pins 68 is now free to be moved by the transfer means 819, as will be explained.

The transfer means 80 (FIGS. 5 and 11) includes a rotatable and an axially movable shaft 82 on which a horizontal transfer arm 84 is fixed, as by clamp 86. The arm 84 is bifurcated and a downwardly extending locating pin 88 and also a downwardly extending transfer pin 90 are fixed, one in each portion of the bifurcated transfer arm 84, the locating pin 88 being fixed to the left branch as viewed in FIG. 5, the axes of the pins being parallel. The locating pin 88 comprises an upper large diameter cylindrical portion 92 and a lower concentric smaller diameter portion of a size to fit loosely into the hole of a flange 28. Upon rotation of shaft 82, after downward axial motion thereof, movement of the pins 88 and 90 both in a rotary manner and in a slidable manner through the space defined by the track covers and into the holes in the flanges, results, as will be explained. The position of the shaft 82 and the length of the transfer arm 84 are such that the pins 88 and 90 move along a circular path registering with the center of the groove 48.

Means are provided to cause up and down coordinated rotary motion of shaft 82 and thereby of transfer arm 84. This means, shown in FIG. 11, comprises a supporting structure 190 having a vertical bore 102 therethrough. A pair of spaced bearings 106 and 108 are fixed in the bore 102 and shaft 82 extends through the separated bearings 1% and 108. The means for moving the shaft 82 axially comprises a cam 110 on which the bottom end of the shaft 82 rests. Cam 110 is fixed to shaft 127. The cam 110 is so shaped that the shaft 82 and therefore the locating and transfer pins 85 and 90 move up and down through groove 48 and into the channel 50 in a manner to be explained. The means for rotating the shaft 82 comprises a horizontal pin 112 extending through the shaft 82 laterally between the spaced bearings 106 and 108. Arm 114, rotatably mounted in support 100, around bearing 198, extends laterally from shaft 82. Rotatable arm 114 rotates about the axes of shaft 82. This rotatable arm 114 comprises an upstanding branch 116 having a vertical slot therein for slidably receiving the pin 112. Therefore, as shaft 32 is moved up and down by cam 110, arm 112 slides in the slot provided therefor in the branch 116. The shaft 82 is shown in its top position in FIG. 11, the lowest position of pin 112 being shown in phantom in this figure. The means for rotating arm 114 further comprises a vertical pin 118 extending from the bottom of the rotatable arm 114. A connecting rod 120 is connected between the vertical pin 118 and a lever 121. A roller 123 is pinned to lever 121. Roller 123 bears against cam 125 which is fixed to shaft 127. A spring (notshown) keeps roller 123 against cam 125. Therefore, rotation of shaft 127 causes both rotation of shaft 82 and axial motion thereof.

As noted above, the sizing position for the hole in the flange 28 is provided along the guide track 42 near the right-hand end thereof as shown in FIG. 5. The sizer comprises a sizing tool 130 (FIG. 9) which is positioned to come up through the guide track 42 at the sizing position and through the hole 52 in track 42 provided therefor. This hole 52 registers with the channel 50. The sizer comprises the sizing tool and a means for moving the sizing tool up through the hole 52 and through the central hole of a flange 28 previously positioned at the sizing position by the locating pin 88, as will be described. The means for moving the sizing tool 130 upwards comprises lever 131, fragmentarily shown in FIG. 9 and shown in section in FIG. 11. A roller 133 is pinned to lever 131. This roller rides on cam 135 which is fixed to shaft 127. Therefore, rotation of shaft 127 also causes upward motion of sizing tool 130. A spring (not shown) is provided for pulling the tool 130 downward.

The sizing tool 130 comprises a conical tip 132 for entering the hole in the flange 28 being sized and for moving the flange 28 laterally as may be required due to imperfect registry of the hole in the flange with the sizing tool. The Sizing tool 130 also comprises a longer frustoconical portion 134 which gradually increases in size from the end of the conical portion 132 downwardly, for the purpose of increasing the internal diameter of the collar 26 of the flange 28 as may be necessary in the sizing operation. The final portion of the sizing tool 131) is cylindrical and of a diameter slightly larger than the desired inside diameter of collar 26. The three portions of the sizing tool are coaxial. As will be explained, the conical portion 134 of the sizing tool 130 sizes the hole in a flange 28 and imports a frustro-conical shape to this hole. After the flange collar is sized, the siged flange 28 is transported from the sizing position to a brazing jig locating mechanism by the transfer pin 99 (FIGS. 10 and 11). The transfer pin 90 has the same general shape as the locating pin, however, its lower portion, which is of such diameter as to loosely fit inside the collar 26 of a sized flange 28, may be shorter than the lower portion of the locating pin 88 of the same diameter. The upper, large diameter portion 91 of the transfer pin 90 has air exhaust passages 142 (FIG. 10) therethrough, only two of which are shown, opening through the bottom surface of the upper portion 91. These air passages are connected to a source of low pressure air (not shown) through central bore 144 through the large cylindrical portion 91 of transfer pin 90 and also through air hose 146 (FIG; 11) fixed to the top portion 91. Therefore, when air suction is turned on and the lower portion of the transfer pin 90 is extended through a collar 26, a flange 28 will be held on pin 90 by air suction as will be more fully explained.

The transfer pin 99, which moves rotationally and also axially with the motion of transfer arm 84 to which it is attached, moves a sized flange directly over a brazing jig loading device 140. This loading device is here illustrated as comprising a pair of contacting pocket members 148 and 150 (FIG. 5). A pocket 152 (FIG. 10) is formed or defined by the two contacting portions of the two pocket members 148 and 1561 to receive the flange 28. Pocket member 150 is omitted from FIG. 10 for better illustration. A hole 154, larger in diameter than the diameter of the transfer pin 90 extends through the bottom portion of the pocket formed by members 148 and 156 when they are in contact. This hole 154 is for receiving the transfer pin 90. The pocket members 148 and 150 move between the position shown, which is the pocket loading position to a position (not shown) where the flange in the pocket 152 is inserted into a brazing jig (not shown). Since this invention is not concerned with the operation of the pocket members 148 and 15 3 per so, no further description thereof is given here.

The above description of the apparatus of this invention is given without regard to whether an anode, grid or cathode sleeve flange is being moved thereby, since the apparatus for moving various type flanges differ only in size and proportion.

The operation of the flange orienting sizing and transare dumped into vibrator bowl 16 (FIG. 1).

16 by its known operation causes the flanges 28 to move 7 up the track 14, some of these flanges having their collars 26 up andsome having their collars 26 down, As the flanges ZS go up the track 14, they assume the tipped attitude of the track 14 and they enter the orientor 12 where they are oriented as explained above, whereby only these flanges 28 whose collars are up pass the orientor 12, and the other flanges 28 whose collars are down, drop back into the bowl 16 where they are again'fed at a later time up the track 14-. The flanges that pass the orientor continue up the track 14 which gradually. assumes a horizontal attitude and these flanges are fed into the guide track 42, the flanges 28 being fed along the track keeping the guide track 42full up to the escapement therein.

This operation up to this point is independent of the further operation of this apparatus. Therefore, in normal operation, the part of the guide track to the left, as viewed in FIG. 5, of the escapement 44, and the escapement 44 itself, is .kept full of properly oriented flanges by the operation of the vibratory bowl feeding means and orien ing means. Therefore, a flange 28 having its collar up will lie in groove 48 in contact with the second pair of pins 63.

At the beginning of the sizing and transfer cycle, the shaft 82, and therefore the locating pin 88 and transfer pin 90, are in their highest position and the locating pin 83 is over the groove 48, the pin 88 being half waybetween the second pair of pins 68 and the third pair of ond pair of pins 68. At this time, the transfer pin 90 is over the sizing position of the grooved guide 42, and

in substantial registry with the hole 52 through the guide 7 42 in this position. This position of the transfer means 8 is shown in phantom in FIG. 5. The shaft means 82 moves down and locating pin 82% extends through the hole in a flange 28 which is in the escapement 44, While transfer pin 9% extends through the hole in the flange 28 in the sizing position. The shaft 52 continues to move down until the tip of the locating pin 88 presses on the escapement member 56 and pushes it down, compressing spring 64, until the second pair of pins 68'are flush with (or below) the floor of the groove i and the third pair of pins 72 extend across the groove 48. The shaft 82 is now turned clockwise (FIG. 5) taking the twopins 8S and 9% with it and the two pins 88 and 96 each slides a flange 28 along the groove 18. As soon as the locating pin 88 moves far enough in a clockwise direction to release the escapementmember 56, the member 56 is raised by spring 64, raising the third pair of pins 72 to a position where they do not obstruct the groove 48 and also raising the second pair'of pins 68 to a position where they do obstruct the groove 4-8. By the" action of the vibratory feeder 16 described above, flanges 23 fill the guide 42 up above-mentioned, prevents the sized flange 28 from falling off the transfer pin 90. At its final clockwise position, at which the transfer pin 96 is overthe split pocket 152, the shaft 32 continues down until the transfer pin 90 extends through the hole 154 in the pocket 152 and the large portion 91 of the transfer pin is inserted in the top of the pocket 152, as shown in FIG. 10. At this time, air suction is released from the transfer pin 90 and then the shaft 82 is moved up to its top position as shown in FIG. 11, leaving a sized flange 28 in the .poclretlSZ, an.

unsized flange 28 having been left in the sizing position by the locating pin 88. Having reached its top position, the shaft 88 starts to rotate back to its original position, shown in phantom in FIG. 5. In the meantime, the sizing tool is moved upward to the position shown in phantom through the hole 52 in the flange 28' and the portion 134 of the tool 130 sizes the hole therein and imparts a conical shape thereto. By predetermining the length of the stroke of tool 13%, the size of hole in aflange may be predetermined. After the sizing operation, the sizing tool is withdrawn to the position shown in full lines in FIG. 9, before the shaft 82. starts downwardly again, and the cycle is completed.

Whatis claimed is:

1. Apparatus for transferring an annular flange and sizing the hole therethrough' comprising a guide track member having a partially closed groove along a surface thereof and having a sizing position along the length of said groove, a pair of pins fixed for movement together with parallel axes, means for moving said pins axially into said groove and laterally of said'axis along said groove, one of said pins moving from a first position along said track to said sizing position while the other of said pins moves from said sizing position to a position beyond said-track, a sizing tool at said sizing position, and means to move said sizing tool through said groove and into the hole in a'flange at said sizing position.

2. Apparatus for transferring annular flanges and for sizing the hole therethrough comprising a' guide track having a groove therein of a size to permit flanges to movetherealong, said groove being partially closed to permitsliding motion and to prevent overturning of said flanges as they slide along said groove, a sizing tool,

means to move said sizing tool through said groove and.

into the hole in a flange at a sizing position along said guide track, pin means for moving flanges individually along said track to said sizing position, and further pin means for moving a flange from said sizing position furbeing spaced from each other, a sizing tool, means for moving said sizing tool through said groove at a sizing position of said track, a locating pin, means including said locating pin for sliding a'tlange along said groove to said sizing position, a transfer pin, and means including said transfer pin for sliding a flange from said sizing position further along said groove.

4. Apparatus for transferring annular flanges and for sizing the holes therein comprising a guide track member, said track member having a groove and a channel in said member, said channel being centrally located with respect to said track'and communicating with said groove, said groove being partially closed, a hole sizing tool at a sizing position along said member, a pair of pins fixed together, and'means for moving said pins into said groove and into said channel and also for moving said pins along said channel, one of said pins being moved between a first position along said member and said. sizing position and the other of said pins being movedbetween said sizing position and a position beyond said member.

5. Apparatus for orienting and transferring annular flanges and for sizing the hole therethrough, said flanges being of disk-shape and having a collar surrounding the hole therethrough and projecting from one. face only of said disk, said apparatus comprising means for orienting said flanges so that all 'of' said collars extend in the same direction from their respective flanges, escapement means, pin means, means including said escapement means and said pin means for feeding said oriented flanges one at a time to a sizing position, a hole sizing tool at said sizing position, means including said sizing tool for sizing. the

hole in a flange at said sizing position, and further pin means for moving a flange from said sizing position to a pocket loading position.

6. Apparatus for transferring an annular flange and for sizing the hole therethrough comprising a guide member, there being a rectangular groove along one surface of said guide member for receiving said flanges, means for partially closing said rectangular groove to contain flanges therein, escapement means near one end of said guide member and communicating with said groove to supply flanges to said groove one at a time, a sizing tool, means for moving said sizing tool through said guide member and through said groove and into the hole through a flange in said groove at a sizing position, a locating pin, means including said locating pin for moving flanges along said guide from said escapement means to said sizing position, and means including a transfer pin for moving flanges along said groove from said sizing position and out of said glide member.

7. Apparatus for orienting and transferring annular flanges and for sizing the holes therethrough, said flanges comprising a collar around said hole and extending from one side only of said flanges, said apparatus comprising a flange orientor for orienting said flanges so that all collars extend in one direction only, an escapement and an associated pin means, a grooved guide track having a sizing position along the length thereof, means including said escapement and said pin means for moving said oriented flanges individually along said track to said sizing position, a sizing tool at said sizing position for sizing the hole in the flange at said sizing position, and further pin means for moving a sized flange further along said track, said further pin means and said first mentioned pin means being fixed together.

8. Apparatus for transferring annular flanges and for sizing the holes therethrough comprising a guide track member having a partially closed groove in a surface thereof and having a channel in said member and communicating with said groove, said channel being centrally located with respect to said track, there being a hole through said member and communicating with said channel at a hole sizing position along said member, a pair of pins fixed together and movable axially thereof and laterally thereof, means for moving said pins into said groove and said channel and means for moving said pins along said channel, one of said pins being moved from a first position along said channel to a sizing position while the other of said pins is moved from said sizing position to a loading position beyond an end of said member, a sizing tool at said sizing position, means to move said sizing tool through said hole and into the hole in a flange at said sizing position, and means for moving said pins further axially while said second pin is in said loading position.

9. Apparatus for transferring an annular flange and sizing a hole therethrough comprising a guide track having a groove in a surface thereof, a pair of track cover plates, each plate covering a portion of said groove and leaving a space therebetween, there being a channel in said guide track extending from said groove in registry with said space, an escapement means in said guide track, there being a hole in said guide track communicating with said groove and extending into said channel, a sizing tool extending into said hole, a locating pin and a transfer pin arranged parallel to each other, means for moving said pins axially thereof through said space and into said groove and channel, and means for moving said locating pin from a position in registry with said escapement to a position in registry with said hole, and for conjointly moving said transfer pin from a position in registry with said hole to a position beyond the end of said guide track and outside of said groove.

10. A transfer and sizing apparatus comprising a guide track having a groove in the surface thereof, a pair of cover plates, each plate covering a portion of said groove and leaving a space therebetween, there being a channel in said guide track extending from said groove in registry with said space, an escapement means in said track and communicating with said groove and channel, said escapement means comprising an escapement member, a first pair of pins fixed to and extending from one end of said escapement member through said track and through and beyond said cover plates but laterally of said groove, a second pair of pins extending from said end of said escapement member into said groove, a bridge fixed to said first pair of pins beyond said cover plate, and a third pair of pins fixed to said bridge and extending from said bridge through said cover plate and into said groove, spring means for urging said escapement member in a direction perpendicular to and towards said groove, there being a hole through said track communicating with said groove, a locating pin and a transfer pin arranged parallel to each other, means for moving said locating pin axially thereof through said space and into said groove and into contact with said escapement member for moving said escapement member in a direction away from said track, means for moving said transfer pin axially thereof simultaneously with and in the same direction as the motion of the locating pin, means for moving said locating pin and said transfer pins along said groove until said locating pin is in registry with said hole and said transfer pin is beyond an end of said track, a sizing tool at said sizing position, and means to move said sizing tool through said hole and into the hole in a flange at said sizing position, said locating pin in moving towards said hole releasing said escapement member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,400,419 5/46 Hohl et al. 193-43 2,564,143 8/51 Alsup 193--43 2,703,894 3/55 Goldberg 221--240 2,726,704 12/55 Fischer 15380.5 2,736,361 2/56 Kocks 15380.5 2,974,811 3/61 Dammert et al. 214-1 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING AN ANNULAR FLANGE AND SIZING THE HOLE THERETHROUGH COMPRISING A GUIDE TRACK MEMBER HAVING A PARTIALLY CLOSED GROOVE ALONG A SURFACE THEREOF AND HAVING A SIZING POSITION ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID GROOVE, A PAIR OF PINS FIXED FOR MOVEMENT TOGETHER WITH PARALLEL AXES, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID PINS AXIALLY INTO SAID GROOVE AND LATERALLY OF SAID AXIS ALONG SAID GROOVE, ONE OF SAID PINS MOVING FROM A FIRST POSITION ALONG SAID TRACK TO SAID SIZING POSITION WHILE THE OTHER OF SAID PINS MOVES FROM SAID SIZING POSITION TO A POSITION BEYOND SAID TRACK, A SIZING TOOL AT SAID SIZING POSITION, AND MEANS TO MOVE SAID SIZING TOOL THROUGH SAID GROOVE AND INTO THE HOLE IN A FLANGE AT SAID SIZING POSITION. 